On this rainy night, citizen Jiang humbly accepted a lecture and kept nodding, saying "good, good, good."
This person always nods quickly. Before leaving, Xu Tonggui repeated what he had said before, and patted his messy hair a couple of times.
Jiang Yujin, whose height was allegedly reduced by 2cm, did not dare to resist this time. He stood by the door, nodding repeatedly and saying "okay, okay" until he saw the other person go downstairs and the vehicle completely drive away from the street before he looked away.
The soap opera rerun finally began, and people who seemed to be deeply reflecting on their actions but were actually not thinking at all quickly turned on the TV.
When Chen Jing returned, he saw a car drive by on the side of the road. The car window was half open, and through the rain, he saw the man's eyes and brows, which were not as sharp as usual, under the warm light inside the car.
It was Xu Tonggui.
As if struck by a sudden thought, he quickened his pace.
The sound of footsteps splashing in the puddles echoed on the quiet street, only to be drowned out by the sound of raindrops hitting the ground. The lights were still on in the houses on both sides of the street, and the faint sounds of televisions and children's shouts could be heard from inside, seemingly no different from usual.
He went downstairs and then back upstairs. He took out his key and opened the door. The moment he opened the door, the sound of a TV program playing, "You actually love him and her," came from inside. The person lying on the sofa chuckled twice. Noticing the noise at the door, he turned his head slightly, somewhat surprised, and said, "Why are you so wet?"
Chen Jing closed his eyes and exhaled: "It's windy outside, the umbrella was blown askew."
He folded his umbrella and asked, "What happened around here? I just saw the special search team go by."
Jiang Yujin sat up, holding the goose: "No, I don't think so."
Chen Jing nodded, put the umbrella away, and went to her room to change. As she was putting it away, she noticed the slippers in the entryway and asked, "Did any guests come by today?"
Jiang Yujin said, "A friend came by but left before you came back. The cake on the table is something he brought for you."
Chen Jing went back to his room to change his clothes. When he came out again, the hairdresser Jiang was online again, waving with a towel in his hand.
Chen Jing had a bad feeling.
His hunch proved to be correct. He felt like his scalp was about to burst into flames, but the people working behind him seemed quite happy. Chen Jing ultimately chose to remain silent and let them do as they pleased.
After working as a hairdresser twice in one night, Mr. Jiang, having watched a soap opera all day, decided to go back to his room to sleep.
In the time that followed, it was as if he had lost a son.
After the short holiday, Chen Jing said that he did not do well in the previous mock exams. He will go to Xiao Pang's house to study together after school from now on, which may continue for a long time, perhaps until the next mock exam.
Jiang Yujin was pleased that his eldest son was so studious, but at the same time felt sad for the barber shop owner.
Because he was going to go and beg for money from the other party again.
After learning that he was going to be harassed by the barber for a long time, the barber shop owner sat by the window smoking for a long time. The only good news was that Jiang didn't come every day. After accepting the commission, he spent most of his time harassing his employer, and Xu Tonggui would come to deliver food to him every night.
Jiang Yujin's expression was indescribable as he faced the delicious dinner that was delivered to his door every day.
While they were eating downstairs, the barber shop owner looked at him and said, "You have someone delivering food to you every day, isn't that good?"
"He didn't come to deliver food," Jiang Yujin said in a low voice. "He came to arrest me for drinking."
He didn't like drinking much at first, but after drinking for a while, he found it okay, especially when someone tried to stop him. His rebellious spirit grew, and the more he was prevented from drinking, the more he wanted to drink. He would try to find ways to have a couple of drinks every day, while also being careful not to get caught.
"..."
The barber shop owner, baffled by the two's witty banter, chose to remain silent and eat his food. Finally, he asked:
"Why don't you go and ask about your adopted son's situation?"
He cautioned, "Aren't you afraid they'll run off to Atsha on their own?"
If a group of people go by themselves, they might not make it in time to rush over.
Jiang Yujin waved his hand: "They need a guardian to go there. If they want to go again, they'll ask me for help."
Because he had been there before, he was fairly familiar with these regulations.
As he was speaking, a phone call came in, and he answered it.
It was a call from a neighbor on the street who hadn't been able to play cards before because of overtime work. He said he was off tomorrow and everyone could get together for a game in the evening.
With a snap, Jiang Yujin quickly agreed.
The barber shop owner couldn't bear to look at him and looked away, silently eating his food.
The following afternoon, following an anonymous tip received that morning, the Special Investigation Bureau located and dismantled another Zero branch. This branch was the largest in the area, with numerous smaller outposts beneath it. Based on information found within the branch, it had maintained close contact with headquarters.
When headquarters contacted them again, they intercepted the other party's contact address.
The address was encrypted with multiple layers, and its coordinates changed every few seconds, appearing to be from all over the world—all fake. However, they discovered a fixed node during each change. By tracing back through this node, they finally found the real coordinates.
The coordinates are in the center of Southeast Asia, a place that is all sea with no buildings at all. It's not as real as the fake coordinates of a city that you occasionally use.
The half-human, half-mutant monster was dealt with on the spot, and they captured the branch leader and a series of relatively normal cadres.
The only person who knew about the headquarters was the branch leader. None of the cadres under him knew anything about the headquarters. But no matter how they asked, the branch leader refused to tell them the location and situation of the headquarters. In the end, it was the branch leader's secretary, a seemingly weak man, who told them everything he knew in order to get a reduced sentence.
He was the branch secretary, but it seemed he had other connections as well. The branch secretary would tell him everything, and he had even gone to headquarters with him once.
According to his description, Zero's headquarters was indeed located in the center of Southeast Asia, deep underwater. It required a special method to travel from the surface to the seabed, but he didn't know what that method was. He only knew that the headquarters was very prosperous, but strangely, it was prosperous yet oppressive. After visiting it once, he never wanted to go back.
After obtaining the information, the bureau held a meeting to discuss the matter of Zero's headquarters, which lasted for several hours, but nothing was reached.
That afternoon, as the sun began to set and the Special Investigations Bureau's meeting ended without reaching any conclusions, a rat was drugged and rendered unconscious in a small laboratory on the other side of the city.
The chubby boy, with dark circles under his eyes, smiled.
It was indeed a success.
For nearly half a month, he experimented every day, failing countless times. Finally, after repeated testing, he confirmed today that what he had researched was indeed feasible.
Chen Jing and Zhang Xin got several cages of rats and conducted dozens of experiments throughout the day.
Rats not parasitized by the cytokines would readily eat food laced with a drug that would cause them to faint, while parasitized rats would refuse to eat after seeing the drug being poured in. Rats already parasitized by the cytokines, even after being injected with the drug, would still refuse to eat. Rats injected with the drug and then re-parasitized would, like the unparasitized rats, readily eat the food, and then lie on the board together, repeating this process dozens of times.
This was a success.
Xiao Pang needs to be observed and adjusted a bit more. Zhang Xin and Chen Jing should hurry up and leave to go home, pack their things, and book tickets.
With each passing minute, 0 gains a better understanding of itself. They can create things that are immune to its parasitism, and the other side can find ways to counteract it.
This is actually a contest of time.
That evening, the three high school students went to the airport.
While the high school students were walking onto the airport, Mr. Jiang was still drinking tea and playing mahjong in a teahouse.
The unfortunate working-class guy sitting across from me, who used to always work overtime, suggested, "Let's play a few more rounds and then go have a couple of drinks?"
Jiang Yujin glanced at the message sent to him not long ago by someone in the "Disciplinary Inspection Team" contact, raised an eyebrow, and quickly agreed.
Everyone in the Special Investigation Bureau, from leaders to rank-and-file officers, is working overtime tonight. Xu won't be able to come over today.
It means let him do whatever he wants today.
"Play a few more rounds" means playing until midnight. By this time, everyone feels like something's missing, so they all agree to call it a day and go to their usual pub.
The streets were deserted in the middle of the night, with only the streetlights on. A few people walked by, their voices unconsciously lowered.
The street fell completely silent, but the tavern was still bustling. The main members of the usual gossip gang were there, and a few of them, having drunk too much, were spilling all sorts of gossip. A crowd had gathered around, just like listening to someone tell a story.
A group of citizens, including Mr. Jiang, quickly joined the group with their drinks. They heard gossip they had never heard before, and their eyes widened in surprise. Some even exclaimed in astonishment, never expecting such a thing to actually happen in real life.
The people who were originally scattered at several tables gathered together to sit around one table and listen to people gossip.
The aroma of alcohol and the sounds of gossip got to me, and eventually the tavern owner joined in.
When the tavern closed, it was already 3:30 a.m. Some people collapsed inside, snoring loudly.
Citizen Jiang put down his wine glass and decided to go home, and the others agreed.
The group entered the tavern independently, and then staggered out, arm in arm.
It was only a ten-minute walk to get there, but it took them a full half hour to walk back. Someone tried to sing out loud, but the person next to them covered their mouth.
Finally reaching his apartment building, Jiang Yujin left the crooked gang, said goodbye, and then climbed the stairs, holding onto the railing. People downstairs were still waving goodbye, saying they'd meet up again sometime.
Jiang Yujin casually agreed, but halfway up the stairs, his stomach churned, and he bent over.
I think I've had a bit too much to drink.
After standing there for a while, he slowly made his way up the stairs, holding onto the railing.
The key was in his pocket; he leaned against the door and rummaged around for a while before finally pulling it out.
He criticized the key.
It's been so long since it came out on its own, it's definitely the key's fault.
The key was inserted into the lock, and with a click, the door opened, causing the person leaning against it to slide down.
Lying on the wooden plank, citizen Jiang slapped his face.
It seems like he drank way too much.
The entryway was cool and pleasantly comfortable. My eyes, which had been half-closed, gradually closed. A sound came from the darkness, and my phone, which had fallen to the side, lit up for a moment.
I opened my eyes again, and it took my light-colored pupils a while to focus and make out that there was a new message on my phone. In the dark, the phone screen was too bright, hurting my eyes.
[○○ Airlines reminds you: Your child has arrived safely at Nanyang North Airport]
Finally able to decipher the text, the person lying on the ground strained their remaining brain cells and finally understood what it meant.
"..."
Jiang Yujin sobered up.
The barber shop owner, who was pulled out of bed in the middle of the night, felt that he must have committed a serious offense in his past life to suffer so much in this life and meet this drunkard.
On the drive to the airport, he had a cigarette in his mouth, his hands on the steering wheel, his face full of annoyance at being woken up in the middle of the night: "How come you're still not dead from drinking?"
The person behind him was sitting crookedly in the back seat, not answering him, still staring at their phone.
Drinking alcohol, staying up late, and motion sickness—while still looking at his phone—Jiang Yujin felt he might not be far from death.
He shouldn't have trusted the aviation regulations from a few years ago. A few years ago, minors with special needs needed to be accompanied by a guardian to travel to Southeast Asia; now, as long as they've been to Southeast Asia before and haven't committed any illegal or disorderly acts, they can freely travel there again as long as they are over sixteen years old.
All three high school students were over sixteen. This airline was surprisingly considerate; they didn't notify us before takeoff, but sent a message to let us know we landed safely.
Having bought a ticket for the next available flight, Jiang Yu stood at the counter, took the ticket while facing the counter clerk, and then checked in.
Despite it being the dead of night, quite a few people board the plane at this time in order to see the sun rise over the South Seas.
Still feeling the effects of staying up all night, being drunk, and motion sickness, Jiang, a citizen, exuded a gloomy aura amidst the jubilant crowd.
As the sun rose above the sea, the people on the plane gasped in amazement, while those who remained quietly seated felt nauseous.
I feel nauseous.
I should have known better than to drink that last sip of wine.
As the sun rose, the Special Investigations Bureau personnel, who had already worked overtime the night before, arrived at work early again. The higher-ups organized another meeting to discuss the Zero headquarters matter, which had yielded no results yesterday. Most of the Special Investigations team members were not present yesterday, but today, in order to hear their opinions, everyone was present, and the meeting was expanded further.
Before the meeting started, Xu Tonggui received a call from the front desk specifically asking to speak to him.
He answered the call. It was Yuan Sanshui calling. The call was brief, only mentioning that Jiang Yujin had gone to Atsha, taking a flight at around 4 a.m., and also revealing that this man had been drinking until after 3 a.m.
The meeting began after the phone call ended.
Aside from the change in the number of attendees, this meeting was virtually identical to yesterday's. When asked about sending a team to clean up headquarters, no matter what others said, the higher-ups always found an excuse not to go. If others said they were tired and couldn't go, the leadership would say that wasn't appropriate. Then others would say they would go, and the higher-ups would wring their hands and say, "We're a bit tight on funds lately; if we go, it'll affect our finances..."
Sitting in the back, Xu Gao was amazed by the extreme tug-of-war and entanglement these people had. Hu Li, who was not far away, had the opportunity to participate in yesterday's meeting and was not surprised by the situation. He lowered his upturned eyes and began to look at lunch.
Xu Tonggui, who had been looking at his phone the whole time, finally looked up slightly and ended the repeated tugging: "Go."
The people above looked at him, and he began his usual indecisive mantra again: "But..."
Meeting the other person's cold, blood-stained gaze, the person who had spoken felt as if they were already dead, unable to utter another word.
A strange intuition told him that if he continued talking, he would probably become a real dead man.
Putting such a dangerous person in the police station might have been a mistake. The gaze that had been piercing him finally shifted away, and the person who had spoken finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Xu Tonggui looked down at his phone again.
He sent several messages, but still no one replied.
In the morning, the Special Search Team, fully armed, boarded a private plane and set off for Southeast Asia.
On the coast of Southeast Asia, a ship sets sail from the shore.
Jiang Yujin sat on the boat, wearing a straw hat that the old man who was temporarily giving him as a gift. He asked, "Uncle, can you go a little faster on this boat?"
The old man waved his sun-darkened hand and said, "Don't make things difficult for my old boat. This is the fastest it can go right now. It's just that you didn't catch the right time."
A few days ago, someone was operating a speedboat here, and as a result, there were a series of accidents. So, speedboats have been temporarily banned from operating here. Now, only large boats and ordinary boats like his can travel.
Jiang Yu pressed his straw hat down and continued to squat on the boat, pointing out directions from time to time as the boat rocked back and forth in the waves.
I felt even more nauseous.
The boat was small and slow, but it was still quite efficient, and we arrived at the designated sea surface safely. The old man looked at the empty sea and didn't quite understand what his guest wanted to do there. Then he heard a "Goodbye, old man" behind him. He turned around and saw a white hem of clothing that had sunk into the sea.
In that instant, that tiny white hem of clothing completely disappeared into the deep sea, and could not be seen no matter how hard one looked.
A pale yellow straw hat fluttered and landed on the boat.
The sound of a helicopter could be heard in the distance. The old man looked up and saw a large ship approaching. Without thinking, he waved and shouted, "Someone here is thinking of jumping into the sea!"
The seawater gets colder the deeper you go.
As Jiang Yujin rapidly descended, he removed the red string from his wrist. The moment it was removed, the red string unraveled, and the seawater seemed to be torn apart by something unseen.
The descent turned into a descent, and the downward speed increased considerably.
Following my previous memory, I descended to the depths of the sea. The turbulent undercurrents were cut off, dispersed, and rushed to other places, while the most dangerous place became calm.
Jiang Yujin glanced at the entrance hidden behind the black rocks, then at its complex structure, and finally decided not to think about it.
Sometimes brute force is much faster than using your brain.
A massive surge of water echoed from the depths of the ocean. After the gate was dismantled, a passage leading upwards unfolded, and the seawater that should have been rushing in was all pushed back.
Beyond the entrance, the city, filled with skyscrapers, remained bright and clear.
Unlike before, the eerie tranquility here has been lost.
Something was clearly happening here. The silver building had exploded, and thick black smoke was rising.
Even with a building exploding, pedestrians on the street continue on their way, eyes fixed straight ahead, enacting a scene of a peaceful city.
It's that familiar intersection again. The traffic lights are still off, and cars are slowly passing by.
A series of footsteps sounded rapidly all around, followed by the sound of gunfire.
The intersection was already surrounded by people with guns.
The man carrying the briefcase walked through the crowd as if he didn't see them, and continued on his way to work.
Jiang Yujin glanced at him and said as they passed each other, "Your traffic lights still haven't been fixed."
The man's lifeless eyes looked over. This time he replied, "There's no need."
He wasn't the only one speaking; everyone around him joined in.
All the sounds overlapped, and in an instant, a violent gunshot rang in our ears.